It's Not the Same...Don't get mad at me!

It's Hot! Yes, I know.  We've been in this crazy heat wave.  On Saturday, it was 103o in Baltimore, but it felt like something like 115o.  Everyone, that I know, plus their brother, their dog, and their sister's friend who live in Antarctica was complain about the heat.  Yes, it's hot! We know!  My perspective is slightly different on the heat though.  I spent a month in Thailand in April...the high season. It is their summer.  If you want to feel the heat go to Thailand the month before rainy season starts.  There you will feel the humidity and the sweltering heat, especially in Bangkok.  On our 3rd day there, the actual temp was roughly 50o Celsius. Yeah that's 120o F!   That does not include the heat index and what were we doing that day?  We took a tour of Ayutthaya where there is virtually no shade at all.   In my world, 103o isn't really that bad. Take a bottle of water, and you'll be okay.  It's not like we haven't had sporadic days of extreme heat. Acclimate yourself to it and then move on.  But again, this is my perspective and some people can't relate.  Rather, these same people are actually getting mad at me when I tell them I don't think it's really that hot.   I have quickly learned my lesson and I smile and nod.  Yes this is my life....

Ooh I have a fantastic story to share later. I got stopped by narcotics officers. Only I didn't know they were narcotics officers until I got to work and explained the story to my friend who is from Detroit.  Even at 31, I'm so sheltered and green.  I wouldn't want to be any other way, though.  I don't need to know how they roll. It's not my lifestyle.  The experience was fascinating though.  

I went to Joe's Crab Shack for my BFF's birthday.  That was an experience!  It's so much work picking crabs.  It's part of my Maryland culture, though.  Can I have crab cake, instead?

Patience, Victoria, Patience....

A few months ago, I interviewed for a leadership training program with my job.  My MBA is teaching me how to be an effective leader...sort of. I'll have the piece of paper but that piece of paper does not teach me how to handle different personalities. Within the state government, those personalities can sometimes be brutal, mean, and just down right un-happy.  I work in the Baltimore office. Specifically, there were 14 people (so the rumor goes) that applied from my office alone and only 4 people were selected.  Everyone is telling me that "of course you got in".  Really? I thought "of course I got invited the OMS OA" too. No dice.  Yes, it de ja vu all over again.   My name is Victoria, and I am impatient. It's a problem, I know.  I'm working on it. I'm promise.  Wait, there was a point to this....Oh yeah!  A woman who got into the program in Annapolis was told that she couldn't take her vacation to Florida. *crickets*  Uhhh, I'm going to Bermuda for a week next year and Africa next December for a month. How is that supposed to work? 

Me thinks meh may have a problem ...

In other news of the day.... in 2 weeks, I will officially be in Jamaica. Excited!!!  I've decided I'm getting a deep cleansing facial and a deep tissue massage while I'm there  I want to go to sleep just thinking about it. 

Everyone in my blog world have a wonderful weekend...wherever you are!

HP...it is really over

Hello friends in blog world. Yes, it has been a long time since I've blogged. My life has gotten the best of me, and frankly, I just don't have much to say really. I'm sure you don't want to hear about the ho hum drum drums of my everyday life.  This is, after all, a blog about my attempts to become a member of the diplomatic corps. 

The normal drum drum drums are there; graduate school, work at the state, part-time job dramas.  The norm. For the life of me, I can't figure out why women are so catty. A few months back, I lost a "friend". She was someone who I met at the part-time and I felt we were beginning to form a friendship outside of work. I mean we were going to Jamaica together for a girlfriend's weekend. Bear with me here...she heard from someone else who "overheard" me speaking badly or gossiping about her.  Yes, it's a classic case of she said/she said.  To make matters worse, she tells me this over text on the same day that I found out I did not make it to the OA stage for the OMS.  Of course, I called to see if we could discuss this like the adults that we were, but she was having none of it.  Okay, fine...it sucks to be you if you treat your friends like this.  I'm over it's okay. So, I find out today that the "someone" is the very same person who doing all of the shady shady down low stuff.  Grr! It makes me crazy. I don't understand it.  Perhaps,  I never will because that's not the type of person I am.  What's the moral of the story? If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. If you do, don't blame someone else.  All of my true friends know that my personality allows me to be direct and I can say whatever I want to your face. That's the beauty of being an American citizen; free speech!  *gets off of soapbox now* 

I took the FSWE last October and the test date for this October is now open.  I just need to find the time to apply before the deadline closes.  I think now I will be more prepared than I was last year.  I'm going to study and do everything I need to in order to ensure that I pass this freaking test. There is always the OMS next March.  I will gladly take either one.  Could I be happy as an OMS? Absolutely.  My dream career is being an FSO though.  I want to be a consular officer to help Americans abroad. I'm so excited!!   Just thinking about the possibility gives me butterflies in the tummy.  In the end, I just want to work for the foreign service in whatever capacity that is.

Did someone say Jamaica?  Yes, that's right. I'm going to Jamaica for the first weekend in August. It'll be a little mini-break for me. My BFF from work, Kelly, is going with me.  She talking about horseback riding and going 4 wheeling. Ummm, yeah. I don't think so. We're going to be there for 2 1/2 days. She wants me to do these things but she doesn't want to go swimming because she doesn't want to get her "lace front" wet.  I don't know what a lace front is but I'm assuming it's some sort of weave. We'll see. I'm not getting on a horse if she's not going snorkeling.  She says "if you can get on an elephant bareback, you can get on a horse." Sure I could get on a horse, I don't really want to.  This will be a fight we will have on the 3 hour direct flight there. I just know it. It's okay. I will win because I'm like that. Nonetheless, super excited to be going away and seeing sand, surf, sexy chocolate drops, and drinking fun fruity rum laced beverages with an umbrella in it.  Yep, that's me!

Saw Harry Potter last night.  I love it! I can't believe it's over.  I cried during the same parts as when I read the books.  See a lot of the battle come to life was great, although, it was much better in my head.  They can't please everyone though, right.  And yes, my favorite line was said, "Not my daughter, you BITCH," says Mrs. Weasley to Bellatrix Lestrange.  Yes!!!  Professor McGonagal also go in on the action! It was a wonderful end to a book and movie series that I have been reading/watching for all of my 20s.  I think I will see it again. It really was just that good....

Time to go to the doctor. My mushroom in my ear is back.  I pray that sexy ENT has a way to fix it.